Adil Najam
I am not sure how ATP readers will react to this, but let me say that I have been totally mesmerized by this music and have had it on auto-repeat play for the last three days.
But, first let me thank Zeeshan Suhail, on whose blog I found this wonderful fusion/jazz band called Brook’s Qawwali Party (BQP).
BQP produces a captivating sound based on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s classic works and turn it into a unique and peculiar fusion of sufi qawalli rhythyms and jazz. But I will let them explain what they and their music is about. According to the BQP webpage (since unavailable):
What would happen if New York jazz musicians were to play and improvise around the melodies of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan? From this idea, Brook’s Qawwali Party was born. BQP consists of fourteen musicians: five horns, three percussionists, guitar, acoustic bass, harmonium and three designated clappers. The exuberant sound of BQP has been enthusiastically welcomed in New York City and across the globe.
According to Sepia Mutiny “Brook’s Qawwali Party is … made up of non-desi Brooklynites who get together in Park Slope… [they are] probably one of the only Sufi bands with Jewish members in existence.”
Of the half dozen audio clips that I have heard, my favorite is ‘Beh Haadh Ramza Dhasdha’ (He Manifests Himself in Many Forms)
I am a big fan of the original by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (in the album Shahbaaz) — I believe it is a tribute to Mansoor Hallaj shouting Ana al Haqq, even as he is executed on the gallows.
The BQP version has a very different quality to it and in the beginning I could not pin it down. But as I hear it again and again it seems to me that because they are using horns, their version has a shaadi waala band sound to it (I say this as a compliment because I am a huge fan of shaadi waala brass bands).
Anyhow, do listen and make up your own mind.
Of the other clips on their site, I also like Tou Kareemi very much. It again has that interplay of horns that reminds me of a good military band playing at a shaadi. Both of these are rather ‘fast’ numbers. If you are looking for mellower sounds you should try their rendition of Man Kuntou Moula. Their versions of Mast Mast and Allah Hou, Allah Hou are not bad but these seemed much more like instrumental versions of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s originals and, especially in the later, the chant of ‘Allah Hou’ gets a little too Americanized in accent for my taste.
(UPDATE: The clips I had first written about are no longer available. Here are some newer YouTube renditions:
Adil Saab,
Thanks for the mention! I’ve been a BQP fan since I first heard their stuff last year. It’s refreshing to hear Nusrat’s music with a jazzy flavor. Moreover, the lack of vocals sometimes makes you focus on the energy and the rhythm more than the words.
Last I was in touch with Brook, he was working hard on trying to get the album out and was facing significant setbacks because of copyright issues and what not.
The usual venue where BQP performs does not have a dance floor, but one performance they did had a small one and the crowd was in a trance by the end. Imagine folks clapping and singing Allah-hu at the end of the night and slowly the music fades away, leaving only the sound of the crowd singing this wird – how awesome.
Anyway, thanks again, will forward your message to Brook!
Zeeshan
Sure, BQP reminds me of the amazing shaadi bands we have in India. Nice post, as always.
Having heard Nusrat’s work with Peter Gabriel and then Michael Brook, (I won’t mention the dance/re-mix versions because they dont qualify), BQP renditions I find very interesting. Bilal Zuberi is right in that the sound is reminiscent of a shadi band but then again, it is much more than that.
Great find Adil, you posts never cease to amaze me.
Love your work!
came across your blog randomly doing research for a history of art paper… love, love, love the BQP sound. i wish they’d done a version of ‘saanson ki mala’ by nusrat – and i’m not far from suggesting it.
You completely changed what I had been listening to on my ipod. The shaadi band sound has a different memory for me. I studied at the St. patrick’s high school in karachi and played soccer for the school team. We practised in the school field in the evening, but guess who else shared the field with us: a brass band that routinely played military or shaadi type music. This music was a beautiful reminder of those days. I want to get CDs of this music and share with friends who are fans of jazz and Nusrat. Thanks!